Only If You Look
by RaiMidori
Summary: When a fragile invitation lies unopened on the dresser, a reminder of a faint memory somewhere along the line. Genuine smiles are passed around on fake, empty people, and you wonder what it is that makes them so beautiful. Sakura X Sasuke. Oneshot.


_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. This work is purely fiction.**_

_**Author's Note: I had the urge to write about a dance. A waltz, really. I was intending to write about the dance itself, but it came out like this.**_ _**A lot of this seems unreal, but if we believe in it, I guess something finds its way out there. This was probably my most descriptive piece, back when I wrote it. The last few paragraphs may not make sense, but I wanted to add the sort of depth that is in most of my works. This isn't my best work, but it was a path to something else, something better. This piece was a major turning point when I wrote it. It wasn't so long ago, but it feels distant. I still chose to post it here because I realized it wasn't as horrible as I thought it was.**_

_**Enjoy,**_

_**-RaiMidori**_

_**P.O.V: Sakura**_

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He clutched the carefully adorned invitation in one hand, peering at it curiously with one eye open. He was sprawled on the grass, the dry blades poking into the folds of his dark clothing. How, at that moment, I wanted to see any hint of reassurance on his face that, now, closely resembled a wooden slate more than ever. He delicately flipped open the envelope, addressed neatly and clearly to him in tilted and perfect cursive. There was a dark stain on the word "Uchiha", as if someone had accidentally dribbled a few drops of water on the otherwise faultless paper. He lifted the cleanly creased letter, unfolding it briskly. His eyes whisked from side to side, and I watched the understanding slowly shine through. I felt the urge to say something, but forced my mouth closed quickly, swept away by the surprised look that graced his beautiful face. His eyes suddenly closed, and he leaned back into the fine greenery. I studied his expression, feeling a pang of odd sorrow when I realized I could only see the real person he was when he didn't see me. I gripped blindly at the grass beneath me, pulling it out violently. As my hands shook, the verdant and delicate pieces tumbled through my fingers. "Sorry…" I closed my fists. He opened his eyes, contemplating something that I would never know of. "Did you get one?" His clear voice held in the air, piercing the silence. I nodded, careful not to let my embarrassment show through. He didn't respond.

My invitation lay unopened on my bedside dresser. "What's in it?" I ventured quietly. He waits a while before answering. "It's a dance invitation." Taken aback, I risked a peek at his face, to see if he was joking. It lay just the way it always was, relaxed and unfeeling. "Um… from… who?" my voice had suddenly morphed into a high-pitched squeak. "Princess Koyuki." he replied coolly, brushing his bangs from his face. "Is it a celebration?" He nodded. I looked out over the village, half my body in the shade. I turned my head towards him. His ivory skin seemed to glow. I imagined his delicate hands clasped in mine, his smile only for me, swaying to the music together. I felt my face begin to heat up. "U-um… Are you…" I almost slapped usually stoic self for stuttering. I was pretty sure all my embarrassment was as clear as day. Sasuke didn't seem to notice it, despite the fact that he had his eyes on me in an inquiring sort of way. Out of the blue, he let out a chuckle. I stared at him, my mouth open and gaping, I was sure. "Wha…" was the best I could manage, my face a strange mixture of resentment and confusion. He let out another chuckle, but this time, it was a bit louder, as if he had a bit more confidence. To my disdain, I couldn't deny the fact that he was just _so cute,_ laughing like a child. Undoubtedly, I was more in love than I would care to admit. I shifted my legs uncomfortably. I tried again. "A-are you going…?" He didn't even blink. "Do you want me to?" I felt like a starving mouse staring at a mouse trap lavished with cheese. Angry at myself, I turned away from him. "So?" His voice rang over a little louder than it should have, stabbing me right through the heart. I whirled around, and looked him in the eye. "Yes." He shrugged nonchalantly, a smile playing about his lips. He turned away, a blush creeping along the back of his neck. When he turned back, his face was as blank as ever, with only hints of the rosy hue that it had been drowned in only moments ago. "I see." His tone was softer, but his face was screwed into a ball, completely lost.

All of a sudden, we were both laughing harder than we ever had, leaning on each other, wondering if we would ever stop. We went home later that day, the laughter gone.

A lot has happened. What we don't know, what we know, everything's been pressing on us relentlessly. It doesn't look that way, but I can see it etched into his features all the time, stabbing him over and over. I don't like to look away, but sometimes, I have to, or I'll never stop crying.

Life is always flowing in and out of us, stealing whatever it can grab, yelling hungrily for more blood. Why? There are a lot of questions, he told me. Sometimes we can't do a thing. Sometimes we can only just watch things as they happen. Isn't that sad? I watched him as he said it. He cried with me, that time.

A lot has happened. Sasuke asked me to dance.


End file.
